Revoke licenses of media houses paying staff ‘peanuts’ - MFKI to NMC

The Movement for the Kingdom Image (MFKI) is calling on the National Media Commission (NMC) to revoke licenses of media owners who pay their staff below average to save the crippling image of journalism in the country.

According to him, due to economic hardships coupled with poor incentives, journalists have resorted to survival over professionalism.

In a statement signed by the President of the group Osempakani Kaakyire Kofi, it said ‘It is an undeniable fact that proper and professional practice of journalism where practitioners would be bold and firm to speak the truth as it is without favour is speedily fading out of the system because many practitioners have chosen survival over professionalism all because they are not paid well’.

It observed that majority of journalists are influenced by money from people especially politicians to twist information to suit their whims and caprices.

Read details of the statement:

PRESS RELEASE

NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION MUST BAN MEDIA HOUSES OWNERS WHO PAY THEIR STAFF BELOW AVERAGE TO ENSURE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM.

The Movement for the Kingdom Image (MFKI) wants to entreat the National Media Commission and other recognised bodies that superintend the media to be bold enough to revoke licenses of media houses that pay their staff below average to save the dying image of journalism in Ghana.

It is an undeniable fact that proper and professional practice of journalism where practitioners would be bold and firm to speak the truth as it is without favour is speedily fading out of the system because many practitioners have chosen survival over professionalism all because they are not paid well.

Our reliable research has shown that many journalist now don’t give professionalism and ethical procedure attention because they believe after practicing all the professionalism on air you need to eat, wear clothes, sleep in a room and pay bills so if a manager cannot pay me and some people can pay me why not being bias towards them?

A nationwide research by the research department of the Movement for the Kingdom Image (MFKI) have sadly shown that some journalists in Ghana are paid as low as GHC50 as monthly salary whiles others are not paid at all in this modern state if journalism. It also revealed that every 9 out of 10 journalists in Ghana are living poorly due to either poor salary or non payment at all which has contributed to the many poor journalism and sides taking journalism in our airwaves.

We believe when journalists are taken good care of by their respective managers the carcass of journalists taking money from someone and twisting issues or journalists working to please a certain group of people or individuals will stop and the profession will regain it’s respect it used to command.

The National Media Commission, (NMC) the Ghana Journalist Association(GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) must save journalism by starting to revoke licenses of owners who fails to pay their staff properly to bring discipline and dignity into the profession because any nation with corrupt journalists always suffer growth in all sectors of the nation as the fourth estate of the realm.

Long Live MFKI Long Live Christianity Long Live Ghana.

Signed: President- Osempakani Kaakyire Kofi

PRO- Rev Daniel Osei Budu